A rat enrolled at the University of Leicester recently completed a BA in Geography, according to reports. The news has produced ripples of shock throughout the education establishment, provoking claims of ‘dumbing down’. The rat, who is known around campus as Steve ‘Curly’ McTailsmith, enrolled at the Leicester institution three years ago after completing A-levels in General Studies, Geography, and Psychology. He is said to hold pens with his tail, and to be particularly adept at shading.
Rats are widely recognised for their intelligence, but none have so far achieved this level of achievement. Claims of ‘dumbing down’ have been disputed by independent watchdogs, who point to the performance of sheep in poor areas of rural Lancashire, where they have been outperforming underprivileged children and securing places on young apprenticeship schemes. These watchdogs point out that some humans are merely becoming more stupid, and speculate that, within 50 years, intelligent animals will be a common sight in the workforce, with uneducated humans fleeing to the protection of the woods and re-establishing small scale feudal societies.
News hour, with Jerry Caesar 